Texas Longhorns Get a Commitment From Safety JD Coffey
The Texas Longhorns got a huge boost to their 2021 recruiting class with the addition of Kennedale High School safety J.D. Coffey today.
The No. 7 safety, No. 29 player in the state and No. 173 overall prospect in the state of Texas chose the Longhorns today over the other finalists Michigan, LSU, Oregon and Washington.
Coffey fits perfectly in the Longhorns modified 3-3-5 defensive scheme. He'll patrol the middle as either a free or strong safety where he can best use his wide range against the pass. He'll also get plenty of chances to come up and make hits in the running game with his linebacker-like tackling ability.
Coffey has never shied away from the spotlight. At 14 years old he was thrust into varsity competition for the first time and responded with 12 tackles and an interception returned for a touchdown in a 55-6 victory over Terrell High School.
“I did think it was kind of easy, but I had put in the work coming into my freshman year,” Coffey told Longhorn SI. “I was confident, and my coach gave me a chance. I was a young kid on varsity, only 14 years old. But I was ready.”
A lot of guys would have rested on that kind of early success, but Coffey has continued to improve himself through his high school career. He lives in the film room and often knows his opponents better than they know themselves.
“He just has an innate ability to understand the game,” Kennedale coach Richard Barrett said. “He’s a true student of the game; he enjoys watching video, he listens intently, and he applies what he learns.
“My knowledge of the game has improved, I can read offenses better, and I can anticipate what’s going to happen,” Coffey said. “I like watching film. It’s fun.”
The safety is often the leader of the secondary, a role that Coffey takes seriously. His high school coach believes he can not only be a great addition to the field for a college program, but the culture as well. He was the first underclassman to serve as a team captain at Kennedale since the longtime coach took over.
"He’s not a big talker in the weight room or in the locker room, but everything changes when he steps onto the field," Barrett said. "He makes all the checks and all our calls. He’s the traffic cop back there.”
Coffey is the program's 12th commit in the 2021 class. He joins Denton Ryan's Ja'Tavion Sanders and Billy Bowman, Katy Tompkins' Jalen Milroe, Port Arthur Memorial's Jordon Thomas, New Caney's Derrick Harris Jr., Katy Taylor's Hayden Conner, Arlington Martin's Morice Blackwell, Forth Worth Everman's Juan Davis, Halletteville's Jonathon Brooks, Warren Easton (Louisiana)'s Casey Cain and ProKick Australia's Isaac Pearson.
Before Coffey's commitment the Longhorns ranked No. 17 in the country and No. 1 in the Big 12 for the 2021 class. Much of the class has been assembled despite the moratorium on in-person visits that has extended back to mid-march due to concerns over the novel coronavirus. That ban is expected to continue through at least July 31.
Update: The good news continues to roll in for the Longhorns today. Texas didn't just get a commitment from Coffey, but also landed one of the Dallas area's top cornerbacks in Ishmael Ibraheem.
Ibraheem is a 6-foot-1 cornerback from Dallas Kimball High School. He is ranked the No. 13 cornerback, No. 28 player in the state of Texas and No. 171 overall prospect in the 2021 class according to the rankings provided by 247Sports.
Ibraheem chose the Longhorns over offers from Georgia, LSU, Oklahoma, TCU, Alabama, Auburn, Baylor, Boston College, Colorado, Georgia Tech, Houston, Kansas, Notre Dame, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Oregon State, SMU, South Carolina, Texas A&M, Michigan, Michigan State, Missouri, Nebraska, North Texas, , Texas Tech, USC, Utah, Washington, Washington State, Arkansas, Grambling State, Illinois State and Liberty.
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